Free album download of First Word Records’ Two Syllables Volume 13

A little Christmas treat from UK beats and soul label First Word Records. Download their new compilation album, Two Syllables Volume Thirteen, for free. Compliled by DJ Gilla, the album is an eclectic round-up of First Word releases, remixes and under the radar edits, spanning the past year. It showcases the label’s steadily growing roster of genre defying artists, including; First Word veterans Tall Black Guy & Kidkanevil, newcomers Darkhouse family and bonified ‘one-to-watch’ Bastien Keb. Expect a broad range of lounge heavy grooves in Two Syllables 13, from Bastien Keb’s seductive sax remix of Quiet Dawn’s ‘Hold me Close’, gospel inspired hip-hop from Children of Zeus, to all out eyes-closed jazz from Myele Manzanza.

First Word collective have been coolly and calmly releasing leftfield hip-hop beats and scratchy soul since 2004 and it feels like the rest of wider music scene is beginning to get it. Among a sea of terrible pop culture and mind boggling politics, 2016 has been a great year for real, fresh sounding, soul influenced mainstream music. Solange, Anderson Paak, Sampha, Tom Misch – there’s a positive wave of chart friendly artists who are flying the flag for forward thinking soul and beats. The Let’s hope it’s making way for underrated labels like First Word, who, quite simply, deserve some better recognition.

Give yourself an early Christmas present. Two Syllables Volume Thirteen is available for a free download now on Bandcamp.